Gauntlet Review 256: Fright Night

It's rare to find a movie that intersects at two Hollywood trends. The first and most obvious is the vampire theme which is everywhere in why are those vampires glittery PG-13 form in the Twlight series and HBO's head trip that is True Blood. The other more subtle trend is the eighties movies remakes. I'm not sure if it's the success of The Karate Kid or what but there's a startling glut of eighties remakes working their way to the cinema. That being said I was actually curious about this movie and wondered if it could deliver scares laughs and R-rated fun.

Our hero is Charley Brewster, a Las Vegas teen with a nice social life, a nerdy past, and attractive girlfriend. All seems well, except for the fact that his former best friend thinks his next door neighbor Jerry is a vampire. Of course, Jerry reveals his true colors soon enough and it's up to Charley to defend the women in his life from a vampire that just won't die.

I'm doing something slightly out of character on this one in that I will be neglecting the original movie since I'm guessing most of its audience wouldn't have seen it. I'll see it at some point but let's get real some fifteen year old kid seeing this movie wouldn't have seen the eighties version.

That being said this a very formulaic but still quite enjoyable vampire romp. Colin Farrell is right at home being the villainous Jerry who doesn't even attempt to hide his bad intentions from the very beginning (a strong decision considering the twist of him being a vampire is ruined by the previews). The rest of the cast performs admirably as well. Anton Yelchin has the potential to be a leading man, Toni Collette is a welcome veteran addition, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse is amicably typecast as a high school nerd.

However our scene stealing award goes to David Tennant who brilliant portrays Chris Angel knockoff Peter Vincent in the movie's funniest scenes and readily delivers the movies best lines.

The other thing I enjoyed was the sarcastic tone of the movie towards vampire lore. Blade fans will notice silver doesn't really effect vampires. Those who believe no invitation inside will save them from a bloody death and anyone who thinks a steak the heart is an easy feat are provably wrong.

The one thing that puzzled me was the focus on the lead character's nerdy past and his need to prove himself to his girlfriend. From his first one on one with Jerry he makes it abundantly clear that he's got the guts, if nothing else, to stand up to him so why so much focus on why this attractive girl is with him. It felt like an unnecessary distraction.

Oh and the small budget certainly shows from time to time. For all the build up to the final showdown it's a pretty tame affair. They hype it up like Blade 4 is about to happen and the subsequent fights do not live up to that kind of hype. It looks like more of the money went into visual effects giving our newly minted vampires big teeth weird monstrous faces etc.

Overall it's a middle of the road flick. Enjoyable and it certainly has its moments but it's nothing earth shattering. If you're in the mood for a vampire movie you could certainly do worse than this. Rent it before buying.

Gauntlet Review 255: All Star Superman

In the Batman vs. Superman camp I've always been in the Batman camp. I could go on for hours about how Batman's mind and lack of powers make him more intriguing but an easy reason is Superman is pretty much invincible. He's got only a couple of major weaknesses that villains somehow manage to exploit time and time and he still falls for it everytime. But what if he wasn't so invincible. All Star Superman offers the question: what would the Man of Steel do with his final days on earth? Now I'm curious.

Due to a plan masterminded by Lex Luthor the Man of Steel finds that he has more power than he ever had before. While great at first, further study indicates that he's dying. Now Superman goes around settling his accounts including a special gift for Lois Lane. Of course, Luthor lurks in the wings waiting to catch our hero at his weakest.

Now as a fan of the DC animated universe and most of their movies I went in with high expectations. Ok slightly lower because it didn't feature Batman but still. They're always well characterized, the action has been exceptionally exciting and they're true to the source material. They've also got great voice acting.

While the voice acting didn't blow me away it was certainly competent. I'll always have a soft spot for Tim Daly voicing the Man of Steel for his work in the Justice League series so anyone else feels like a replacement. One surprise was Christina Hendricks voicing Lois Lane but I was pleasantly surprised by her sultry yet suspicious Lois.

Action wise it's typical superman fare that focuses on set pieces rather than hand to hand combat (another reason I've always liked Batman). That being said, they're nicely varied from battles of will in space, exciting rescues, and fights between titans. It gives the movie a nice blockbuster feel.

As far as characterization is concerned this is a great demonstration of just how good Superman is. He saves regular humans, he gives Lois the day of her life, and even saves the life of his nemesis more than once. Though the story is all about his final days this is a celebration of everything Superman is. And it's more than suitable.

They made me like Superman. It's undeniably short and some sections seem a bit contrived and childish but even moderate fans of the character can enjoy Superman at his best. Give it a shot!

Gauntlet Review 254: Friends With Benefits

Though it's not uncommon for two screen-writers to have the same idea it's very rare for the both movies to be released within months of one another. In this case we have movies that focus on friends that agree to have sex with another without being in a relationship. The first to be released was No Strings Attached starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher involvement meant I wasn't interested. On the other hand we had one starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake from the director of Easy A. Hey why not? Can a clearly unoriginal plot (I mean it is When harry Met Sally just with a spin on it) still entertain?

Our leads are Dylan and Jamie. Dylan is California native looking for a promising new position and Jamie is a head hunter who might such a position for him. As the two become friends they wonder we everyone falls for Hollywood romance cliches and decide to develop a sex-filled platonic relationship. Of course feelings make their way into the mix but will they ever amount to anything?

Since I enjoyed the movie I'll get all of my complaints out of the way quickly. First, the pacing is somewhat horrible since the third act downswing is pretty low. I know comedies feel the need to make everything terrible between the two leads but there's no need to oversell it. We get it they're fighting we expected this can we just get them together please?

It's also terribly predictable from a plot point of view since there's no way they're going to say yeah we'll remain friends forever just sleeping with each other.

That being said this movie is stacked with comedic talent. Emma Stone and Andy Sanberg make great cameo appearances and clearly the director's old favorite Laura Linney gets to play a new version of the mom from Easy A.

My favorite supporting and cameo roles have to go to Woody Harrelson and Shaun White. Harrelson gets to yuck it up as Dylan's gay co-worker Tommy and somehow manages to seem very much like Woody Harrelson. In a similar fashion we get two scenes of comedy gold from Shaun White who turns in the best athlete cameo since Lance Armstrong in Dodgeball.

Of course the real draw of the movie has to be Kunis and Timberlake. Thankfully they have great chemistry and their comedic timing syncs up quite well. I also liked that I could see the two of them together. A lot of R rated romantic comedies pick odd pairings you would never see together out of the context of the movie. Here everything seems in order. They're also aided by Will Gluck's direction who already showed his flair for comedy with Easy A.

Being an R-rated comedy there's plenty of sex jokes and it may be a bit too explicit for some folks taste. But if you're curious at all and liked Easy A give it a shot.

Gauntlet Review 253: Rio

I may have just realized how many animated movies center around talking animals. That may be Disney's fault for the most part but nowadays if you want a surefire hit pick some cute animals, get decent voice acting, add some great CGI and you'll probably have a hit. There are seems to be a glut of films taking place in Rio such as Fast Five and even the Incredible Hulk had scenes there. So will the two trends mix amicably?

Our story follows Blu, a blue macaw that was taken from the wild now lives a peaceful existence with his loving owner Linda in Minnesota. However, when a bird specialist indicates Blu may be the last male of his kind, Blu and Linda head down to Rio to ensure the survival on the species. Of course things get mixed up and Blu is taken from the bird sanctuary, which is especially troubling since he can't fly. Now it's up to Blu to get back home, figure out how to fly, and woo Jewl (the last female).

With the age of CGI one of the biggest requirements for a quality animated flick is eye-popping animation. Thankfully there's plenty on display. Of course Rio and its people look vibrant but the real focus was clearly the wildlife. The sections involving flocks of colorful birds are gorgeous and the baby birds will make your girlfriend declare "Awww" out loud (I know mine did).

Next comes voice acting to sell the characters. Jesse Eisenberg voices Blu competently but his inexperience as a voice actor shows since he demonstrates something no voice actor should have: restraint. Anne Hathaway sounded like her character in Get Smart but she provides enough sass to sell Jewel. The side characters were a pleasant surprise with George Lopez (who didn't irritate me at all thankfully), Jaime Foxx, Leslie Mann, and even singer Will. I. Am. turning in good work. But the golden trophy goes to Jermaine Clement as the villainous bird. His song made me roll on the floor with laughter and Clement's comedic timing is perfect for the role.

Finally, we need a story to hold things together. Now as I've ranted previously, most kids movies are all about being yourself. While this held true from time to time, this movie is a nice fish out of water story combined with a journey of personal growth. It was also nice to watch a similar transformation with his owner. It's a simple story but it's kid friendly and uplifting.

The only real complaint I had was the movies sense of humor. Since it boasts a G-rating, the movie avoids any mildly risque jokes which you think would be abundant considering the outfits in Carnivale and the next to procreate for the sake of the species thing. Therefore some things feel excessively kiddy like the human henchmen who act like fourth grade children and the emphasis on random people dancing in shiny outfits (men included).

That being said, this movie is a great time for pretty much everyone so give it a shot.

Gauntlet Review 252: The Lincoln Lawyer

It's a noted trend that actors go back to the genre that made them after they've put out enough crappy movies. And so seems to be the case with Matthew McConaughey. After years of pumping out terrible rom-coms and a misguided foray into action movies, McConaughey goes back to the courtroom a la A Time To Kill. Is it a return to form or does it fall flat?

McConaughey plays Mick Haller, a lawyer who defends the worst of the worst from gang bangers to biker gangs all for piles of money. Oh and he tends to do business in his car hence the name. Haller soon gets a surprise when a socialite heir asks him to defend him during his murder trial. The case of a lifetime is in his hands. Of course, as Haller begins to dig deeper into the case he begins to question his morals, his client, and even clients passed.

As usual I like comparing movies like this to other genre films so let's go with the courtroom mystery/drama standards.

Likable lead character: There are really two ways to play this. The perpetual moral compass like Atticus Finch in everything but name or option two: be the immoral guy who questions his own methods. I honestly believe there's a little bit more to be gained with the second way since it creates a character arc and thankfully there's one in this movie too. It also never hurts to make the lead character smooth, confident, and competent. He might defend awful people, but you have to respect him

Mystery: In most courtroom dramas you're either waiting for the verdict or you're trying to figure or both. Primal Fear is a good example. What I really liked about this movie is that the mystery is tied to Haller so it feels far more personal. Most courtroom movies make the lawyer an investigator. Thankfully not the case here.

Side Characters: All things considered this is a well rounded cast with veterans like William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei and some quality work from Michael Pena and Ryan Phillippe as well. I shudder to think of this movie with a weaker cast than they had.

Moral Dilemma: Courtroom usually have a higher purpose of either putting society on trial or challenging us by putting us the main characters shoes. While the Haller is certainly challenged the movie doesn't have a ton to say about the justice system except, potentially, that men like Haller are necessary. I don't know it was kinda vague.

Overall this is a very competent thriller and I would certainly watch it again. Of course there are strong echoes to Primal Fear and I guessed every major plot twist (aside from one) but it's not enough to derail the experience. Try it out. I think it might even be on Netflix now.

Gauntlet Review 251: Dead Alive (Brain Dead)

Most directors are known for a particular style of movie. John Hughes gave us eighties teen comedies with heart. Micahel Mann loves gangsters and cops. And Michael Bay likes making movies with no plot with thing exploding while jumping off a ramp, preferably with robots nowadays. Strangely enough, Peter Jackson was known for something else before The Lord of the Rings: splatter flicks. In this case movies that are campy, funny, and feature enough fake blood to make you give up smoothies for a year. Though considering that both Sam Raimi and Jackson have made a transition from this genre it shouldn't be a surprise. Regardless, I had to check out Jackson's earlier work.

Taking place in New Zealand, our story follows Lionel a sweet boy with an irritating and overbearing mother. Life's not all bad though he's just met a lovely girl who believes him to be her soul mate. But the joy can't last long because as luck would have it, his mother gets bitten by a cursed monkey and subsequently becomes a zombie. Now Lionel has to either keep a lid on the body count or battle the zombie hordes his mother is creating.

Ok so before we begin let's define the target audience. Basically if you've heard of or know of Evil Dead 2 you'll probably be somewhat interested. If you watched Evil Dead 2 and got freaked out or didn't get it etc. stay away. The film is excessively gory and it's low budget effects don't stop it from being gross.

Of course I really enjoyed it though. I was amazed that they actually took some time to give the hero a back story and there's a number of hilarious moments that aren't even fright/gore related (the minister in particular made me roll on the ground with laughter).

Truth be told I was impressed by the sheer amount of makeup and hand made special effect work that would have to be done for a movie like this. Evil Dead 2 made have had blood pouring out of the ceiling but it didn't turn a dinner part of fifty people into zombies.

Of course it's low budget so if you're looking to be blown away by realism you're in the wrong place. Though truth be told I think it helps. Making everything feel realistic makes it more personal and often more gross. Here we can laugh at what's happening because it doesn't look like an actual person.

And then there's the lawnmower. For movie people you'll already know what I'm talking about, but for those playing the guessing game at home just picture how a lawnmower could be used in a horror movie.

Truth be told there's not much to complain about for fans of the genre. The running time is agreeable and well under two hours. The lead character is a meek everyman rather than a dashingly handsome warrior. And it never takes itself seriously. So if you're tired of rewatching the Evil Dead series and are looking for something comparable check it out, but if you want regular scares and zombies look someplace else.

Gauntlet Review 250: Conan The Barbarian (2011)

In a strange recent trend, Hollywood has been culling the 80s for remakes. They've had minor successes such as The Karate Kid and Footloose. And then there was Conan. Taking after the movie that launched Arnold Schwarzenegger's Hollywood career, Lionsgate dumped a bunch of money on the production with a minimally famous cast and decided to make it in 3D. Critics were as kind as starving hyenas and ripped it to shreds and audiences ignored it. Of course being an action junkie I was curious regardless. So I went in attempting to like this movie.

The story follows Conan on a quest for vengeance against a warlord. What Conan doesn't know/care about is that the warlord is putting together a magic mask that will give him the power to enslave the entire mythical land. Now a personal vendetta becomes a battle for humanity as Conan looks to take him down.

As regular readers will know I'm not one to critique an action movie for a flimsy plot or even poor acting. Though I do have some standards so we'll put this through the action movie review filter.

#1 Action Scenes: To its credit the movie does its best to keep things interesting by changing the style and location of the fights. There's also couple of inventive combat scenes. However, the major problem with making a swords and sandals epic an all out action flick is that it'll be swords every time. The modern action film has hand to hand combat, car chases and fights with weapons. Here it's always swords and Conan never lets go of his so after awhile the action stagnates. That and they're not doing anything you haven't seen before.

#2 It Looks Pretty: It does look good which you would certainly hope considering the amount of money they spent so that's to their credit.

#3 Acting Is Tolerable: I really want Ron Perlman to be in better movies than this because he's the saving moment of gravitas in the entire thing. Newcomer Jason Momoa is competent and certainly has the physique of the character but everyone else seems to be phoning it in. Especially Rose McGowan who seems to have only one acting setting.

#4 Sense of Humor: It's bad when you can guess every joke before it happens. Here if you've seen an Arnold movie you'll know what's coming next. I also think the bumbling friend of the action hero needs to be abandoned for a bit. Why not make them both awesome fighters? Yay teamwork!

#5 Story is Tolerable. For something narrated by Morgan Freeman you'd think they would address the convoluted mythology at some point but it just didn't happen. Does the mask immediately give you power? Yes no? Because it didn't seem to help the villain who seemed unstoppable beforehand. What was the battle that Conan's mother died in all about? How exactly did Conan learn his father's lesson because I was waiting for the the moment when it would click and they just repeated it after he acted exactly the same as usual.

Overall is amusing but it's a mess and if you pay to see it you'll get more and more mad. The old school epic should be vitalized but it needs a bigger story than something like Conan can offer.